Cruising and Dancing 15 Days Through Europe

Cruising and dancing 15 days through Europe

By Pamela Lovegren –

Thinking about Europe brings images to mind of stalwart castles, glittering palaces, ornate cathedrals, ancient architecture and cobblestone streets synthesizing into a waltz back in time. To experience these firsthand, my husband and I embarked on a romantic journey through Europe on one of the remarkable river cruises offered by Viking. Our “Grand European Tour” took us to four countries over a fifteen day period. Cruising on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers, we traveled from Budapest to Amsterdam on the Viking Lif, a longboat of understated elegance. Our cruise selection proved to be an extraordinary venue for dancing and romance at the most unexpected moments.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe

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Cruising and Dancing Through EuropeOur excursion began in the city of Budapest, Hungary’s enchanting capital on the Danube. Strolling hand in hand, we discovered the imposing Parliament Building, a splendid example of Neo-Gothic architecture accompanied by many statues. The charm of live music by a pianist, violinist and electric guitar in the shadow of the Tisza Istvan statue captivated us. The call to dance was irresistible.

Our feet, even though shod in clumsy tennis shoes, moved to the rhythmic sounds of Waltz, Tango and Swing on the ancient cobblestones.

photo3Back on board, our talented chef Slavi, prepared an authentic Hungarian dinner featuring Beef Goulash and Dobos Torte. We dined by a large picturesque dining room window overlooking the river. As the sun set we watched the orange hues merge with the breathtaking kaleidoscope colors of the city.

photo5Each evening, Daniel, a young, handsome, talented shipboard musician from Italy, played an extensive collection of piano compositions ideal for dancing. What a rare find! Overjoyed, we slipped on our dance shoes and danced to ballroom and Latin music to our hearts content.

Shimmering night lights illuminated the famous Chain Bridge as evening dusk glided over the Danube river. This is the oldest and most spectacular of seven road bridges in Budapest. The night was balmy and soft jazz played in the background. It was a quiet moment for the two of us on our stateroom balcony. We shared a champagne toast to each other, an intimate Jazz Blues dance and a slow swoop kiss brought the evening to a perfect close.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe

The next morning we learned a new dance affectionately called the “cabin dance”. Occasionally when we walked through the stateroom’s efficient quarters we bumped into each other. The cabin layout is well designed with no wasted space. The pleasant discovery of heated floors in the bathroom delighted our toes.

The overlay of romance continued in Vienna when we attended the Vienna Residence Orchestra performing Mozart and Strauss masterpieces. In this town, we could barely wait for our optional tour to begin. It included stopping at a dance school to honor Vienna’s renowned composer, Johann Strauss II, who popularized the waltz in the 19th century. What a golden opportunity to expand our Viennese Waltz skills via a lesson with a professional instructor from Vienna. Right away we realized there are significant differences between Viennese Waltz in America and the same dance in Vienna which has graced elegant ballrooms for centuries. In American Viennese the waltz starts with the right foot and in Vienna it begins with the left foot. We felt like first time dancers tripping over each other’s feet until we adjusted to the change.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe                                                                              We visited Schonbrunn Palace, the magnificent home of the Hapsburg Dynasty. The enormous and elaborate grand ballroom of the oldest baroque palace in Vienna resides here. Our tour guide suggested we envision a ballroom full of stately gentlemen dancing with swirling ladies in refined, swishing dresses. Peter invited me into dance position and we waltzed our way around the same grand ballroom where Queen Maria Theresa reigned and danced for 40 years with her husband and 16 children. Other visitors giggled and smiles grew as we danced past them. Peter returned the smiles and announced, “This is the best way to enjoy the full experience!”

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe                                                                              That evening we participated in an optional tour to a local Austrian wine tavern. We savored a high-spirited Heurigen dinner where local vintners serve the most recent year’s wines for a brief period following the growing season. Sitting at a picnic table on an outdoor patio overlooking the vineyards, we met some travelers from another Viking ship. Laughing and telling stories we shared young wine and simple food together. Live musicians played toe-tapping traditional music. The alluring tunes filled the night air. We danced the Viennese Waltz patterns we learned earlier in the day throughout the rustic dining room.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe                                                                              Further upstream, the Wachau Gorge captured our imagination on what life might have been like thousands of years ago. Picturesque villages and famous vineyards dotted the shoreline interspersed with lush hillsides crowned by castles and cathedrals. In the chilly morning air, we grabbed our cameras and wrapped up in blankets to sit comfortably on the ship’s sundeck. This was an ideal location for breathtaking vistas and capturing optimal photos.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe                                                                              The town of Melk lies, at the confluence of the Danube and Melk rivers in the base of the Wachau Valley. The renowned Melk Abbey is a masterwork of baroque brilliance. In the ornate Marble Room we gazed up at ceiling frescoes. Colors today are as intense as when first created because the artist painted them while the ceiling plaster was still wet. Waltz music drifted into this elegant ballroom, bringing us to our dancing feet yet again! My husband is the rare man who actually looks for opportunities for us to dance as a couple. Lucky me!

Exploring the winding cobblestone streets of Bamberg, Germany we discovered a place off the beaten path called Café am Dom, the oldest coffee shop in this medieval town. We decided to stay a while and savor the local ambiance. The exceptionally delicious tortes and sipping coffees are served on petite silver plates adorned with lace paper doilies, tiny heart cookies and slender forks. We melded into the inviting surroundings while our taste buds took their turn at dancing.

Cruising and Dancing Through Europe                                                                              At Rothenburg ob der Tauber we expected to see Harry Potter sauntering down the intricate cobblestone walkways lined by half-timbered houses. This is one of the last remaining walled medieval towns and located on the famous ‘Romantic Road’. Created after World War II to lure visitors, this road includes sweeping landscapes and vineyards, fairy-tale castles, and ancient cathedrals.

Cruising and Dancing Through EuropeIn town, we traversed elevated walkways on top of the fortress walls overlooking the High Altar St. Jakob’s Church and the Gothic-Renaissance Town Hall. Small roughhewn openings in the stone parapets captured our interest and we peaked through to sights beyond the walls. We pondered how guards could see enough to protect the village when the openings were so tiny. We climbed down the wall steps to the Castle Gardens, beautiful grounds overlooking a lush green valley and Tauber river far below. In the cool shade of the park trees, we danced and swayed while a gray-haired musician played a song, perfect for a ”Night Club 2 Step”, on his cherished violin.

Later we met up with our witty and fascinating Franconian guide, Florin, to partake in local cuisine. We dined on steaming bowls of potato soup and generous servings of sausages, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes followed by a tender apple strudel drizzled with a smooth vanilla custard sauce. The highlight was drinking superb Franconian dry white wine, the best we have ever had, made locally for people of this region and not exported elsewhere.

Cruising and Dancing 15 Days through Europe

 

Our previous notions of Europe’s waterways transformed into incredible firsthand appreciation of the exquisite and varied beauty of both the land and people. This made our maiden voyage into river travel, via the Viking “Grand European Tour” river cruise, grand indeed! The rich history, immersion in vibrant cultures, inspiring destinations, astounding natural beauty, fine cuisines of Europe and personalized attention are all part of the Viking experience. The romance of cruising in Europe will always be a treasured memory – making our hearts dance with joy.

Pamela Lovegren Business Manager / Travel Editor LivingBetter50.com.
Pamela’s expertise flows from building her own successful business to guiding small to mid-size family owned companies. She analyzes business structure, is a diplomatic negotiator, identifies operational issues, and implements effective resolutions to lead a firm on a path to excellence. Her experience ranges from resort management, leadership conferences, property management and business consulting to extensive traveling and travel editor of this online publication. Pamela shares the vision of Carol Doyel to celebrate and encourage women of 50+ who desire to live life with spirit and passion each and every day.

 

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Cruising and Dancing 15 Days Through Europe
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